“He may have committed a crime to do so, but he has done his country a great service,” the paper adds, arguing that Snowden should be permitted to return home and receive a plea bargain or some other form of clemency. (He’s currently hiding in Russia.)

Considering that The New York Times remains America’s most influential paper, it’s hard to understate how significant its view here is. And it’s not alone: Both The Los Angeles Times and the Guardian have also called for amnesty for Snowden, largely for the same reasons.